In Brief
A 24-year-old schoolteacher was convicted under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act and sentenced to two months imprisonment, a fine, and compensation. The Supreme Court found that neither the trial court nor the High Court had considered her financial hardship: she was the sole earner for her family, earning only Rs. 4,000 monthly, and imprisonment would cost her job. Having already paid the fine and compensation, the Court modified the sentence by substituting the two-month imprisonment with an additional Rs. 50,000 compensation, payable within three months, with imprisonment revival only on non-payment.
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